Car-fender.



G. WHITAKER.

UAR FENDER,

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 14, 1901,

Patented Dec. 15. 1908 3 SHEETSSHEET 1 F a M \k ii; a l o a i ww w aw mn NU M1 \wr V NM J w \WN e M Z N? ink My Wm \N a n I\\ w a g f.

G. WHITAKER.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED KAE.14, 1907.

Patented Dec '15. 1908 G. WHITAKER.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 190?.

Patented Dec. 15. 1908 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT;

oaoaou wni'miom, oi rasannxri, CALIFORNIA.

, CAR-FENDER.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gannon l-Vurnutnn a citizen of the United States,residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeli-s and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders. ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved form of fender for powerpropelled vehicles, it being on street railway cars where loss of lifeand injury to persons is often occasioned, and the prime object of mytinvention is to provide a device, whereby when a .erson or objectstrikes the fender it wil operate mechanisms to instantly bring the carto a sto i further object is to provide a fender, the lower frame ofwhich can be adjusted at various heights above the rails or tracks.

A further and special object is to provide a tender by means of whichcars can be coupled together without its removal and which will notinterfere in any manner with the operation of the car.

I accomplish these objects by means of the device described herein andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of one end of a street railway carwith parts broken away and parts in section. Fig. 2- is a plan view ofthe fender attached to one end of a street railway car. Fig. 3 is adetail of the fender net winding and rail sanding mechanisms. Fig.-4--is an enlarged detail partly in section of the air valve and releasingmechanism. Fig. 5 is :1. diagrammatic view of the pneumatic brakingmechanism showing its connection to the fender. Fig. (l is an enlargedcross section of the motormans brake controlling valve taken on 'line6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail through the three-wayoperatin valve. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail 0 one of the fenderadjusting bars.

Referring to the drawings 10 designates the frame ofa street car ofusual construction. Rigidly secured to the frame of the car and atthebottom thereof are bearings 11 in which are adjustabl mountedvertically dis osed bars 12 whic are provided witha series of apertures13 that are adapted to be engaged by a pin 14 which passes t rough anaperture fiipecification of .I etters Patent. Application filedMarch 14,1907. Serial N0.362,268.

especially adapted for use 15 in the bearings 11. The purpose of thesepivoted 1" nine of the fender above the'car ltracks. The lower ends ofbars 12 are re.-

vidcd with U-shaped clamps 16 which orm.

JOSBd, preferably tubular frame 17.: 'l he front cross bar 18 ofthistubular frame. is secured in T-fittings 19 so that extensions .20and 20 may be made to each'side bar 21 of frame 17. To cross bar 18 isattached the outer ends of a netting 22 which extends upwardl andrearwardly to a transversely disposer cross shaft 23 and is securedthereto in any suitable manner. Shaft 23 is revolubly mounted inbearings 24 secured to a bar 25 bolted or otherwise secured to the frameof the car. One end of bar 25 is provided with a ratchet 26 that is adated to be engaged by a spring pressed paw 27, a handle 28 is provided sothat the shaft may be rotated to wind and unwind the net 22, the innerupper end of which isattached to shaft 23. I

It will be noted by the winding mechanism above described that the lowerframe of the fender may be raised or lowered as occasion requires andwithout the stoppage of the car.

When the lower frame of the fender is in its drawn up or folded positionit will not interfere in the coupling of cars, as t-henetting is woundon the shaft 23 leavin an absolutely clear space below the car 001'adjacent the draw bar.

To one of the extensions 20 of the lower frame a cable 29 is rigidlysecured, the other end passing around a grooved pulley 30 mounted on theother extension 20 and secured to an arm 31 of a bell crank lever 32which is pivotally mounted on crossbar 18. Rigidlv secured to the longerarm 33 of hell crank ever 32 is a pull rope 34 which extends upwardlyand rearwardly and is rigidly secured to a horizontally disposed springpressed dog 35 which is mounted in a bearing '36 so; cured to the underside of the frame of the car. Do 35 normally engages a notch 37 in avertica ly disposed valve operating rod-38 which asses through anaperture 39 in the floor 0 the car and is provided on its upper endwitha handle 40 so that the motorman Patented a imam-i bars is to providefor the adjustment of the pivotal bearings for the horizontallyidismaydraw it upwardly into itsoperative po- -l.

sition after being released by the dog 35. To the lower end of rod 38 ispivotally secured a valve operating lever ,45 which is preferablyprovided on" its outer end with a weight 46, so that when the doreleases rod 38 it will cause the lever to quic yoperate the valve 47.

Valve 47 is preferabl a three-way valve of usual construction, an isnormally in the position shown in Fig. 7 of the drawin s,'leaving aconnection open through pi e ines 48 and 49. Pi line 48 connects with abrake cylinder 50 ofusual construction and pressure is admitted throu hthis pipe line to opcrate the braking mec anism '55. Pipe line 49connects with a motormans brake controlling valve 56 of the usual ty eand has an o n connection to the atmos lore through t at valve and pipeline 57. en valve 47 is operated by the movement of valve lever to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, connection is made betweenpipe line 58 and. pipeline 48 leading to the braking cylinder.50..Pipeline 58 connects directly with a fluid pressure tank 59 and alsoconnects in the usual manner to the brake controlling valve 56.

It will be observed that by means of the abo e described mechanism thatwhen an obstru tion is encountered by the tender, fluid pressure isinstantly admitted to the cylinder to set the brakin mechams r In Figs.1 and 3 have illustrated a motor controlling mechanism that is adaptedto be operated simultaneously with the braking.

mechanism. This mechanism consists preferablyof a knife switch 60 thatis electrically connectedv tothe motormans controller 61 and to themotor 62 suspended between the V axles of thetrucks 63. Outer end ofswitch is connected by a downwardly de ending rod 64 to valve lever 47and is adapted to be opened on the. downward movement of the lever, thusbreaking the electrical connection with the motor and render-in itinoperative.

In the frontof t e car and at one side of the controller 61 is a sandhopper 65 which has a downwardly inclined delive spout 66 thatterminates adjacent to one o the front wheels oi the car. Hopper 65 isprovided with a cut ofi valve 67 the outer end of which is connected toan arm 68 of a bell 'crank lever 69 ivotally attached to a bearing arm70. A co ed spring 71 isconnectedto arm 68 of bell crank lever land tothe hopper to return the valve to its-normal position after anoperation. Arm 72 of this bell crank is connected :to pawl 27 by a cable73, so as-to release the ratchet and cause" the lower frame of thetender to contact with thetrack or roadway.

'Arm 72 is also connected by a cable 74 whichder it. The valve to thesand box coeneo The operation of the apparatus is suchthat the obstaclefirst acts upon the transversel disposed cable 29, thereby -o crating,bel crank lever 32, one arm of whic is attached to the spring operatedpawl 35, thus releasing the valve operat' rod'38 which in fallingoperates the thr way valve {i7 admitting air to brake cylinder 50 andinstantly setting the brake mechanism. At the same time the brakes areset the cables connected to. the bell crank 69 are 0 erated by the valvelever 45, thus releasing t e spring ressed pawl 27 and o eratin thevalve 67 o the sand ho er. the release of pawl 27 the lower rame othe'fender is released and falls to the track, thus J'preventing anyobstacle from throwing the fender upwardly or gett' unem opened at thesame time, sand is applied t5 t e track through .the spout 66, therebyassisting in the stoppage of the car. eration of the valve lever 45 alsoautomatically breaks the circuit to the motors through the medium of theswitch 60. The operation of all of these mechanisms it will .be seen isaccomplished simultaneously, thus materially assisting the instantstoppage of the car.

It will be observed that by the arm e ment of winding the nettin upon arol er, thereby bringing the lower ame 11 wardly and in close roximityto the front 0 the car, I am enabled to couple cars without removing anyfl'portion of the fender.

t w' be further observed that when a person is can ht in the netting ofthe fender that his weig t will force the pivoted frame upwardly, thus,forming a crad e like support and preventing a person from being throwntherefrom.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is -1. The combination with a car of a fendercomprising a plurality of vertically dis osed arms, of a horizontallydis osed rame pivoted to the lower ends of sai arms, a nettin secured tothe outer end of said fraine an extending rearwardly and upwardlytherefrom to engage a net winding mechanism, of a net windlng mechanismsecured to the car andadapted to be 0 erated therefrom, and means tooperate and ioldthe net windi mechanism, whereby the ivoted frame willbe held in a predetermine position.

2. The combination with a car of a fender comprisin a plurality ofvertically disposed adjustable arms, and a horizontally disposed framesecured to the lower ends of said arms having a netting secured to theouter end thereof, the inner end of said netting extending rearwardlyand upwardly and secured to said car 4. The. combination with a car of afender comprising an ad justable pivoted. '1 rame having anetting-secured to the outer end thereof, of a net Winding mechanismsecured to the frame of the car and having the inner end of the nettingsecured thereto, means to operate and hold the net winding n'iechanism,whereby the pivoted frame will be held in a redetermined position, andmeans secure to the pivoted frame to automatically release said netwinding mechanism when the fender strikes an obstruction.

5. The combination with a car of a fender comprising an adjustablepivoted frame havmg a netting secured to the outer end thereof, of a netwinding mechanism secured to the car above the ivoted frame and havingthe other end 0 the netting attached thereto, of means to operate and.control the movement of said Winding mechanism, and means secured to theivoted frame and to the net winding contro ling means, whereby theivoted frame is released when the fender stri es an obstruction.

6. The combination with a car of a fender comprising an adjustableivoted frame havmg a netting secured to t ie outer end thereof, of a netwinding mechanism secured to the frame of the carand hay in g the innerend of the netting secured thereto, means to operate said net windingmechanism, an auxiliary pneumatic braking mechanism secured to said carand operatively con nected to said fender, and means secured to saidfender frame, whereby said braking mechanism is operated when the fenderstrikes an obstruction.

7. The combination wii is a car of a fender comprisingan adjustablepivoted frame hav ing a netting secured to the outer end thereof, of anet winding mechanism secured to the frame of the ca r and having theinner end of the netting secured thereto, means to operate said notwinding mechanism, auxiliary pneumatic braking and track sandingmechanism secured to said car and operatively connected to said fender,and means secured to said fender, whereby said braking and sandingmechanisms are operated simultaneously when the fender frame strikes anobstruction.

8. The combination with a car of a fender comprising an adjustableivoted frame having a netting secured to t e outer end thereof, of a netwinding mechanism secured to the frame of the car and having the innerend of the netting secured thereto, means to operate said net windingmechanism, auxiliary pneumatic braking and track sanding mechanismssecured to said car and operatively connected to said fender, electricout out means interposed in the motor circuit, and means secured to saidfender, n'l'ierehy said. braking, track sanding and electric out outmeans are operated simultaneously when the fender frame strikes anobstruction.

J. The combination with a car, of a fender comprisin a plurality ofvertically disposed arms rigidly secured to said car, of a horizontallydisposed frame secured to the lower ends of said vertically disposedarms, and fending means secured to the outer end of said frame and tothe car.

10. The combination with a car, of a fender comprising a plurality ofvertically disosed arms ri idly secured to said car, of a horizontallydisposed frame pivotally secured to the lower end of said verticallydisposed arms, and flexible fending means secured to the outer end ofsaid frame andto the car.

11. The combination with a car, of a fender connected thereto, flexiblesupporting means for said fender, a track sanding mechanism secured tosaid car, and a trip mechanism secured to the front end of the fenderand operatively connected to said sanding mechanism and to said suporting means, whereby said sanding mechanism is operated and the fenderis lowered when the trip strikes an obstruction.

12. The combination with a car of a fender connected thereto, flexiblesupporting means for said fender, of a braking and track sandingmechanism secured to said car and operatively connected to said fender,electric cut out mechanism interposed in the motor circuit, and a tripmechanism secured to the front end of the fender, said trip beinoperatively connected to said braking, trac sandin and electric cut outmechanism and to said fender supporting means 13. The combination of acar, of a fender operatively connected thereto, flexible supportingmeans for said fender, a track sanding mechanism secured to said car,and a trip mechanism mounted on the front end of the fender andoperatively connected to said sanding mechanism and to said fender vsuporting means, whereby said sanding mec anism is operated automaticallyand said fender is lowered when the trip strikes an obstruction.

14. In combination with a car, a fender frame pivoted thereto,supporting means for the outer end of said frame, a tri secured to theouter end of said frame, an connective means between said trip and saidsupporting means whereby said supporting means is re leased on theoperation of said trip.

15. In combination with a car, a fender frame pivoted thereto,supporting means for the outer end of said frame, track sanding, brakingand electric cut out mechanisms secured to the car, and a tripmechgnigm': secured to the front end of the fendr'iind 0perativelyconnected to said track sanding, braking and electric cut out mechanismsand 5 also connected to said supporting means to release the same uponthe operation of the trip mechanism.

In witness that I claim the fore ing I have hereunto subscribed my namet 7th day of March, 1907.

GEORGE WHITAKER.

Witnesses:

EDMUND A. STRAUSE, TRIMBLE BARKELEW.

